Vána
Vána (Quenya; IPA: - "Beautiful One") is an Ainu and a Valië who was responsible for the preserving of the youth made for all life in Arda. Among the seven Valier, Vána was considered a rank of six of the Queens of the Valar.The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Valar" She was known as Vána the Ever-Young. Biography Vána was the younger sister of Yavanna (Queen of the Earth) and the wife of Oromë (Huntsman of the Valar). In Vána's dwellings she had gardens filled with golden flowers; and often, Vána came to the forests of Oromë. Like her sister, the province of Vána was growing things of the world and she was a lover of nature. Vána had influence with the flora and fauna of Middle-earth , and she was associated especially with flowers.Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, The First Phase: "Of the Valar" It was said that when the Valar Tulkas & Nessa were wedded in the the Isle of Almaren, the first dwelling of the Valar, Vána robed her sister-in-law Nessa the Swift (sister of Oromë) with her flowers. Then Nessa danced on the green grass of Almaren before the Valar.Morgoth's Ring, Annals of Aman, "The First Year of the Valar in Arda" In the Days of the Two Trees of Valinor, Arien of the Maiar, before she came to carry the vessel of the Sun, had served Vána by tending to the golden flowers of Vána's gardens watering them with bright dews from the great golden Tree Laurelin.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, XI. "The Tale of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor" Melian also was another Maia who initially served Vána before she departed for Middle-earth.The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Maiar" After the Darkening of Valinor and the flight of the Noldor to Middle-Earth, most of the Valar were glad to have their ancient peace back, wishing neither the rumors of Melkor and his violence nor the murmur of the restless Noldor to come upon them again. Thus for such reasons, they clamored for the concealment of their land Aman. It was said that Vána was one among them.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2: The Book of Lost Tales 2, "The Fall of Gondolin" Attributes According to The Silmarillion, "All flowers sprung as Vána passed and opened if she glanced upon them; and all birds sang at her coming." Vána robed herself in flowers and it was said that her hair was golden in color.The History of Middle-earth, Vol.1:The Book of Lost Tales 1, Chapter IX: "The Hiding of Valinor" Vána, the Queen of Flowers had the beauty of both heaven and earth upon her face and in all her works.The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part II, Quenta Silmarillion: "Of the Valar", p.226 Like Nessa, Vána also sang and danced along with her maidens. Etymology The name Vána may have been derived from the Quenya word vanima ("beautiful"), as she is often described as "fair".The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies" Hence she was also known as Vána the Fair. Other Versions of the Legendarium Vána and her husband Oromë were once envisioned to have had a daughter named Nielíqui.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 1: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, III: "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor" In another material, Vána was the younger sister of Varda and Yavanna.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, The First Phase, "Of the Valar" Vána played a formative role in the growth of great Tree Laurelin: "Then was the pit covered with rich earths that Palúrien (Yavanna) devised, and Vána came who loveth life and sunlight and at whose song the flowers arise and open, and the murmur of her maidens round her was like to the merry noise of the folk that stir abroad for the first time on a bright morning. There sang she the song of spring upon the mound, and danced about it, and watered it with great streams of that golden light that the Ulmo had brought from the spilled lakes--yet was Kulullin almost o'erflowing at the end." In earlier versions of the History of Middle-earth, Tolkien wrote that when the great Two Trees of Valinor were destroyed, Vána fell into inconsolable grief, and then she attempted to gather what she could of the spilled light inorder to rekindle the dead Tree Laurelin. Later on, even when the spells of Vána's elder sister had failed to heal the wounds of the great Two Trees. Yet, Vána's love for the great golden Tree Laurelin was so great that it caused Laurelin's remaining power to blossom one more form of a fruit of gold before it died. The Valar later fashioned the golden fruit in the making of the Sun.The History of Middle-earth, Vol.1: The Book of Lost Tales 1, Chapter VIII: "The Tale of the Sun and Moon" The Maiar of Vána *Arien, the Maia who guided the Sun, was one of her Maiar in Valinor. *Melian, who later in Middle-earth became Queen of Doriath by marrying the Elf-King Thingol. Gallery References External link * de:Vána es:Vána it:Vána pl:Vána ru:Вана Category:Quenya words Category:Valar Category:The Silmarillion Characters Category:Characters in The History of Middle-earth